Fall 2016 - LBST 101 D100
Introducing Labour Studies (3)
Class Number: 3518
Delivery Method: In Person
Overview
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Course Times + Location:
Sep 6 – Dec 5, 2016: Tue, 12:30–2:20 p.m.
Burnaby -
Exam Times + Location:
Dec 17, 2016
Sat, 8:30–11:30 a.m.
Burnaby
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Instructor:
Dale McCartney
Description
CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:
Introduction to key concepts necessary for understanding the character and organization of work in contemporary society. The discussion of such issues as how our society decides who works, what the work will be, and under what conditions people work, will be situated in the context of current debates, trends and issues. Breadth-Social Sciences.
COURSE DETAILS:
Work dominates most of our lives, perhaps now even more than in the past. Most adult Canadians will work for forty hours or more a week for forty or more years of their lives. Many students attend university with the intention of improving their job prospects, and the second question anyone asks a new acquaintance is “what do you do?” Yet work is rarely studied at university, and few courses examine the challenges working people face in Canada. If you are interested in the topic of work, then Labour Studies 101 is a good place to start.
Labour Studies 101 is an introduction to the critical study of work, workers, and trade unions. In this class, we will examine the nature of work and its history, the role of trade unions in Canada, what work looks like now and will in the future, and the concept of class. To do this, we will read academic sociology and history, but also first person narratives and newspaper articles. By the end of the course, students should understand the basic structure of work in Canada today, as well as important ideas about socioeconomic class, race, gender, trade unions, skill and deskilling, globalization, and many other topics.
COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:
Students will be introduced to the key concepts necessary for understanding work in contemporary society. Through discussion and assignments they will develop the ability to apply these concepts to their own work experience and ideas about work. They will also learn the key concepts of trade union structure and organization, and will investigate some of the current issues and trends facing unions and workers.
Grading
- Participation: 20%
- Writing Assignments (two short essays): 30%
- Midterm Exam (short answer): 20%
- Take Home Final Exam (short essay): 30%
NOTES:
Students will regularly attend seminars, prepared to participate in class discussions and activities. They will complete all readings assigned each week. They will also complete two short essays, a midterm exam, and a take home final exam.
REQUIREMENTS:
All students are expected to read SFU’s policies concerning academic honesty and student conduct (S 10.01 - S10.04). The policies can be read at this website: www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student.html.
Materials
REQUIRED READING:
Errol Black and Jim Silver, Building a Better World: An Introduction to Trade Unionism in Canada, 3rd ed, (Black Point, NS: Fernwood Books, 2015).
Barbara Ehrenreich, Nickel and Dimed: On (not) getting by in America, (New York: Picador, 2011).
Additional readings will be available online.
Registrar Notes:
SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://students.sfu.ca/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating. Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.
Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community. Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS